Taylor County Bench Warrant Search

Bench warrants in Taylor County are issued by judges in the 3rd Judicial Circuit when a person misses a court date or fails to follow a court order. The Taylor County Clerk of Court and the Sheriff's Office both track and serve these warrants from the Perry area. You can search for active bench warrants through the clerk's office, the sheriff, or the statewide FDLE database. These are public records under Florida law once served. This page explains where to look for bench warrants in Taylor County, what the penalties are, and how to go about resolving an outstanding warrant.

Taylor County Clerk of Court

The Clerk of Court in Taylor County maintains all court case records, including bench warrants. The main office is at 108 North Jefferson Street in Perry, Florida 32347. You can call (850) 838-3506 for questions about a case or to check on a warrant. The clerk handles all filings for the 3rd Judicial Circuit courts in Taylor County. Walk-in requests are taken during normal business hours at the courthouse in Perry. If you need to ask about a bench warrant, the clerk staff can pull up the case by name or case number.

Taylor County is one of the smaller counties in north Florida. With a population of just over 21,000, the clerk's office handles a lower volume of cases than urban counties. But the same laws apply. Under Florida Statute 901.02, a judge in Taylor County can issue a bench warrant when probable cause exists and a person has failed to comply with a court order. These warrants get entered into the system as soon as the judge signs them. Public records requests for bench warrant documents can be made by phone, mail, or in person at the clerk's office.

The FDLE homepage is shown below. The statewide warrant database pulls data from all Florida counties, including Taylor County.

You can use the FDLE database to check for Taylor County bench warrants from home without needing to visit the courthouse in Perry.

Search Taylor County Bench Warrants Online

Taylor County does not have a large online court records portal like some bigger Florida counties. For online bench warrant searches, the best option is the statewide FDLE database at fdle.state.fl.us. The FDLE system pulls warrant data from all 67 Florida counties and gets updated every 24 hours. You can search by first name, last name, or date of birth. The database includes outstanding arrest warrants, failure to appear capias warrants, direct capias warrants, and violation of probation warrants from Taylor County.

The 3rd Judicial Circuit covers Taylor, Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, and Suwannee counties. Court records and warrant data are shared across this circuit. If you have a bench warrant in Taylor County, it will show up when law enforcement in any of these circuit counties checks the system. The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers association manages the CCIS and eWarrants systems that share data between all 67 county clerks.

Taylor County Sheriff and Warrants

The Taylor County Sheriff's Office serves bench warrants in the county. They are at 700 South Jefferson Street in Perry, Florida 32347. You can reach them at (850) 584-4225. The sheriff's office is the primary agency responsible for locating and arresting people with active bench warrants in Taylor County. Under Florida Statute 901.04, any sheriff in the state can serve a bench warrant from Taylor County. The arrest can happen on any day at any time.

If you think you have a bench warrant in Taylor County, turning yourself in is the best approach. You can do this at the Taylor County Jail or by contacting the sheriff's office first. Voluntary surrender typically leads to better outcomes in Taylor County courts. Because Taylor County is part of the 3rd Judicial Circuit, law enforcement in neighboring circuit counties can also arrest you on a Taylor County bench warrant. Contact the sheriff's non-emergency line to find out what to expect before you show up.

Note: Bench warrants in Taylor County do not expire and remain active until the person is arrested, the judge recalls the warrant, or the subject is deceased.

Bench Warrant Penalties in Taylor County

Missing court in Taylor County leads to added charges. Under Florida Statute 843.15, failure to appear on a felony charge is a third-degree felony with up to five years in prison. Failure to appear on a misdemeanor is a first-degree misdemeanor carrying up to one year in jail. These charges come on top of the original case. The bench warrant is a separate legal issue. Taylor County judges treat failure to appear the same as any other county in Florida, and the consequences can be severe even for cases that started as minor matters.

Florida bench warrants are unlike search warrants. Search warrants expire after 10 days under Florida Statute 933.05. Bench warrants have no time limit. A bench warrant from years ago in Taylor County is still active today. It shows up during traffic stops, at airports, and during any law enforcement contact. The warrant stays in the FCIC and NCIC databases until it gets resolved. Under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.730, the clerk or state attorney can prepare a direct capias to bring a person before the court.

Resolving Taylor County Bench Warrants

If you discover you have a bench warrant in Taylor County, get legal advice first. A criminal defense attorney can review your case and help plan the best course of action. They may file a motion to quash or recall the warrant, which works well for old cases or minor charges. Going to court voluntarily is almost always the better choice compared to being arrested unexpectedly.

Under Florida Statute 88.3051, a court can issue a bench warrant, capias, or writ of bodily attachment when someone fails to appear after proper notice. All bench warrant records in Taylor County are public under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, the Sunshine Law. Anyone can request to see them without being a party to the case. Juvenile records and sealed cases have restrictions, but most bench warrants in Taylor County are open to the public once the return of service is filed.

Beware of scam calls. Real law enforcement in Taylor County will never ask you to pay over the phone to clear a bench warrant. No gift cards, no wire transfers. If someone calls and demands payment to resolve a warrant, hang up and verify through the clerk's office at (850) 838-3506 or the sheriff at (850) 584-4225.

Cities in Taylor County

Taylor County has a few small cities and towns. All bench warrants in the county are handled through the 3rd Judicial Circuit Court in Perry. No cities in Taylor County have a population over 75,000.

Places in Taylor County include Perry, Steinhatchee, and Salem. Bench warrants for residents of these areas are all handled at the Taylor County courthouse in Perry.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Taylor County. Make sure your bench warrant is in the right county before you take action. Each county has its own clerk and sheriff that handle warrants.